Ayurveda and Yoga

Has Milk Become Poison?

Ayurveda uses dairy in many medicinal preparations, recommends the use of ghee, or clarified cultured butter and considers milk and dairy excellent food, especially for the very young, the elderly, and those who need to build strength and immunity. The Vedas especially recommend milk for those on a spiritual path. Milk is considered pure, or sattvic. Milk is produced by the mother 's love for her child and increases intelligence and sensitivity. Vedic culture grew up around the cow and yogis favored dairy products. The Vedas mention a greater variety of dairy products than of any other food source, including grains, fruit and vegetables.

There is ongoing debate about the healthfulness of milk and dairy. Dairy is often categorized with meat as an unhealthy food, causing disease. This apparent conflict has mostly to do with the methods of raising livestock and the processing of milk. Some people do not have the enzymes to digest milk and dairy because their ancestors did not. South Korea has only recently developed the taste for dairy due to contact with the West and is importing dairy herds. Many people of Asian and African heritage are lactose-intolerant. Humans are the only mammals who continue to consume milk and milk products into adulthood. Children who are not breastfed often have trouble digesting milk as adults.

In the photos above and below, a milkman delivers fresh milk on the outskirts of Pune, India. The cow is the most sacred animal in India and has been for thousands of years. This gentle animal supplies food, not only to her calves, but to humans. She symbolizes Mother Earth, non-violence and ultimate goodness. Harming a cow is like destroying the sustenance for all life. On my first trip to India, our guide told us that the first chapatti off the grill every morning was fed to the family cow. The cows are milked only after they have fed their calves. In the United States, industrial style farming has taken over and the cow is just a means of production. Though a cow's natural lifespan is about 20 years, industrial farmed cows In the US live only 2 and a half to three years! Dairy cows in India have not been bred to have huge udders and produce much less milk. Dairy farms are small and generally deliver milk fresh to the consumer. Cows range freely in India. How we treat cows in the West reflects our reckless, consumer-oriented culture, with little regard for the health of the earth.

Symbol of Goodness

Miraculous Milk

Milk is truly a miracle food. Milk provides all the nutrients for infants of all mammals. There is much we don't know about milk, but research tells us that the nutrient content is modulated by interaction between mother and child. Cows in a barn with their calves taken away do not have this vital stimulation and the milk loses its nourishing qualities. Industrial farmed cows in the US are artificially inseminated, fed grains, hormones, antibiotics, confined and milked by machines. Ancient Ayurvedic texts state that meat and milk from tethered or confined animals is not as healthful as that from animals allowed to roam free. Fresh, raw milk is healing, especially in regimens aimed at rejuvenation or improving the mind.

Pasteurization has reduced the quality of dairy. Our dairy products are also homogenized and refrigerated for long periods of time, and injected with additives, including salt, sugar, artificial flavors and colors. The vitamins A and D added to milk usually come from fish-liver oil, so milk is often not even vegetarian. A recent Harvard study suggests industrial farmed milk causes cancer. German studies have suggested that homogenization is the culprit in milk causing leaky gut syndrome.

Ayurvedic Recommendations for Milk

Ayurveda does not recommend cow's milk for Kapha (earth and water) constitutions. It is best for Vata (airy) and Pitta ( fire) types. Ayurveda considers good milk like pure plasma that nourishes all the tissues. Poor quality milk is like mucus, the waste product of plasma. Warm milk with ghee is considered a natural laxative. Pasteurized and homogenized milk however, causes constipation. Cardamom is the best antidote for the mucus forming properties of milk. Ginger, cinnamon and turmeric are also good. Golden milk, warm spiced milk with turmeric, has recently become trendy and popular. Ayurveda also points out that taken in excess, dairy can be harmful, especially if cold. Dairy is damp and heavy and can clog the srotas, or channels of the body, aggravating many chronic diseases.

Ayurveda says dairy mixes well with sweet fruits, starchy vegetables and whole grains. Milk should not be mixed with yogurt, salt, meat and fish, yeast breads, nuts and sour fruit.

More and more small,local dairies are cropping up, raising pastured, organically fed, well-treated cows, and producing quality milk and dairy. Support your local farmers and your local cows!

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Disclaimer: The information on this website is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. For more information pertaining to your personal needs, please see a qualified health practitioner.